


Toll the Bread

by sadzemnianwizard



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Gen, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rollerblades & Rollerskates, Slow Burn, University
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:01:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24243940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadzemnianwizard/pseuds/sadzemnianwizard
Summary: What happens when roller skating Mollymauk meets the beloved bookworm Caleb? An impact, a fall, and two changed lives. Besides, what can go wrong with a bakery owned by the one and only Jester Lavorre? (Plus, Caduceus to provide teas!)College AU, Widomauk slow burn. (For now, anyways - we'll see how the writing takes us.)
Relationships: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 22
Kudos: 76





	1. Impact and Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> This is an amalgamation of all my favorite headcanons and AUs all tossed together into one fic - something that can only end in success. Thank you, Ali (Meridas), for the beta!

Today’s weather is Caleb Widogast’s favorite weather. The light is bright enough to read comfortably by, but not so bright that he needs to squint. It is warm enough to heat the dark wood of the table, but not so hot that his copper red hair sticks to his neck. Today is the type of day when the dopamine rush from the sunlight makes him happy enough to take off his worn, brown cardigan. The slightly-cooler air rushed over the scars lining his forearms as he stretched, letting them breathe and soak in the sunlight. 

He sat outside his favorite bakery,  _ Toll the Bread _ , with a now-empty cup of tea - if it could really be called a cup, as it was closer to a small bucket - and a secondhand book. There was only one table outside, and Caleb suspects it was brought outside specifically for today’s weather. He brought the cup up to his mouth absentmindedly, seeming almost surprised to find it empty. Sighing, he packed his book into his messenger bag, draping his cardigan over the top, then picked up his cup and pushed open the door. 

The door creaked quietly, in a way that seemed familiar rather than annoying. Caleb only managed to catch a glimpse of the wood-paneled floor and the golden light shining inside before his vision was blocked by navy blue hair tied up into space buns, shortly followed by mischievous purple eyes and an almost infectious smile. “Cay-leb! You’re back!”

“Ah,  _ hallo _ , Jester. I- I did not leave, I was only outside. I am just returning this cup before I go back home,” Caleb said, holding up the cup as evidence. “I am cooking dinner tonight for Nott and myself.”

“Of  _ course _ you are, Caleb. You know, my mama says that it’s very important to take of the people around you, but you also need to take care of yourself, especially considering -” Thankfully, Jester was cut off by a lanky man with a shock of pink hair ducking through the back door, arms laden with glass jars. 

“Hi, Mr. Caleb. Hi, Jester,” he rumbled.

“ _ Hallo _ , Caduceus. This week’s tea blend was very nice,” Caleb said, mouth twitching up slightly at the corners - just barely enough to be recognized as a smile. 

“Thank you, Mr. Caleb,” the firbolg replied with an easy smile. “It’s good to hear that you’re enjoying our tea.”

“I- ah, I always do.” With that, Caleb maneuvered himself past Jester to set his cup down on the back counter, trying to ignore Jester bouncing on the balls of her feet and smiling slightly-too-widely in his direction. Caduceus busied himself with arranging the jars of tea on the wall, smiling gently to himself as the jars clinked together, occasionally opening one up to smell the blend. 

Caleb turned back, ducking his head. “ _ Danke _ , Jester. For the tea.”

“You’re welcome,” Jester giggled, stretching the vowels and still wearing the same smile. Caleb wondered if he should ask, but dismissed the behavior as typical Jester. He bobbed his head once again, waving slightly to Caduceus as he left the shop.

The walk to his apartment was a familiar one, a routine set after many visits to the café. He read as he walked, hardly looking up. As he rounded the corner, there was a flash and a sudden burst of pain, and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground. He froze for a moment, eyes closed as he collected his thoughts and categorized injuries. Before he could finish, there was an insistent tapping on his shoulder. 

“Oh gods, oh gods, please open your eyes, please be okay, oh gods.” A lilting voice, lightly accented. Caleb’s eyes snapped open and he jolted at the warm amber eyes inches from his, pressing himself harder into the sidewalk. The figure did the same, leaping away from Caleb. Despite the pain as he sat up, Caleb’s stomach swooped as he took in the other: tanned skin against a flowy white shirt with colorful tattoos poking out of the neckline and sleeves, gold jewelry peeking out from under purple curls, and purple roller skates. Caleb blinked several times at the skates, head unexplainably foggy, finally coming to the conclusion that yes, those really were roller skates. 

“Are you okay?” The same lyrical voice shocked him out of his reverie, and he winced with the sudden reminder of pain. Caleb nodded wordlessly. “You don’t have to speak if you don’t want to, I just want to make sure that you’re okay.”

“ _ Ja _ , er,  _ ja,  _ I am okay. A-and I can speak.” Caleb’s voice was quiet, head still spinning. “ _ Was ist _ \- ah, what has happened?”

The other person winced. “It seems that you and I came across the same corner at the same time. I do apologize, ever so deeply…” The lyrical voice trained off, searching for a way to address him.

“Caleb. Caleb Widogast.” He ducked his head, immediately regretting his decision as a spike of pain shot through his head and he clutched his left temple. 

“And I’m Mollymauk Tealeaf, Molly to my friends, which I think you certainly are now that I’ve taken you out.” The corner of ruby-red lips twitched upwards, concern and laughter mingling together. 

Caleb removed his hand from his head. As he extended his hand towards Molly to shake his hand, his eyes widened at the blood on his hand. “Oh, ah, that is not good.”

“Darling, we need to get you to a hospital,” Molly said far too evenly for the amount of blood. 

Caleb’s eyes shot open and his entire body tensed as his stomach clenched. “ _ Nein, nein, bitte kein Krankenhaus!” _

“Okay,” Molly said simply. “Can you walk? I’ve got a friend around here that should be able to fix you up, no questions asked.”

Caleb relaxed minutely and nodded, hauling himself up with a groan as he scrabbled to pick up his book. Molly rose (much more gracefully) and brushed off his black jeans, which were so tight they sent Caleb’s brain spinning again. 

“Follow me.”

With that, Molly began skating. At first, Caleb was worried about keeping up, but Molly managed to stay with him, first skating circles around Caleb, then swooping this way and that while balancing on one foot, always checking that Caleb was behind him. 

Caleb, on the other hand, stared resolutely at the ground. Standing was infinitely worse than sitting, and his mind was blinded with the pain that hit him. He clutched his book to his chest in an attempt to ground himself. Every ounce of his effort was keeping him upright - he didn’t dare lean on Molly, for fear of the wheels and his own anxieties about touch - focusing fully on putting one foot in front of the other. It was an unfortunately familiar experience. 

Molly’s voice slowly filtered through his mental fog. “-leb, Caleb, darling, are you okay?”

Caleb looked up to see that he was back at  _ Toll the Bread _ . He glanced at Molly, whose hands hovered gently above his own, carefully and intentionally not touching, as if he understood. Caleb nodded.

Molly ever-so-carefully pushed the door open, wincing at the creak. “Come on in,” he said, voice low, gently guiding Caleb in behind him. 

Jester poked her head around the corner. “ _ MOLLY! _ ” She flung herself out of the kitchen at him, grinning wildly; Molly flailed his hands, shushing her as he stepped aside, revealing Caleb. Jester’s smile evaporated immediately and her eyebrows crinkled as she approached Caleb carefully. She folded her hands carefully in front of her, the only thing Caleb could see with his eyes trained on the ground. “Caleb, are you okay?”

Caleb nodded. He’s had worse. 

“Okay. Can you talk to me?”

A single shake of the head.

“Would you come and sit down?”

Nod. 

Caleb walked to one of the worn wooden chairs and practically fell into it, still clutching the book to his chest. His bag hit the ground next to him carelessly. He sank into himself, carefully pulling in every sensation and numbing himself until he felt like he was floating. 

Jester grabbed Molly’s wrist and dragged him back towards the kitchen (a process made easier by Molly’s skates and Jester’s strength), making sure she stayed within visual range of Caleb. 

“What happened?” Her voice was filled with concern, accent thickening with the beginnings of anger.

Molly ran his hand through his hair repeatedly, jewelry jingling slightly. “I don’t know, I just ran into him, and he was okay while he was on the ground but then he stood up and got really bad, and I was afraid to touch him because I didn’t know and since you’re a pre-med student I thought that -”

Jester grabbed both of his hands, interrupting his rambling. “It’s  _ okay _ , Molly. Now you can help me help him.” With that, Jester skipped out from the kitchen, Molly slowly rolling behind her, and knelt in front of Caleb.

“Hi, Caleb. You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, so you can just use one for yes and two for no, you know?” She held up her hands, displaying  _ yes  _ on one hand and  _ no _ on the other. “Does that make sense?”

Caleb’s eyes focused slightly as he looked at Jester on the floor in front of him. One hand unwraps from the book and he raises one shaking finger.

“Do you know where you are?”

_ Yes.  _

“Do you know who I am?” Jester grinned widely at him, cupping her cheeks with her hands as she batted her eyelashes. 

Caleb raised one finger again, the questions grounding him as the corner of his mouth twitched at Jester’s antics. 

“Oh, that’s  _ so _ good, Cay-leb, I’m  _ so _ proud. Now, is it okay if I touch you so I can make sure you’re okay?”

_ Yes _ .

“Cool! I’m going to take a look at your head now.” Jester hopped up and peered at his head, carefully keeping her face composed so as to not alarm either Caleb, who was now blinking and starting to return to himself, or Molly, who skated bubbles on the floor behind her to keep himself calm. It wasn’t really a bad wound - no stitches required. Even though he had taken a bump to the head, he wasn’t displaying any other signs of a concussion. 

“The Traveler must have protected you,” she proclaimed, stretching out her arms. “No problems,” she added for Molly’s sake. 

An unspoken tension dissolved in the room as Molly’s shoulders relaxed, and he grinned again. 

Jester glanced at both of them, hiding a smile. “Caleb, would you be okay if Molly stayed with you for a moment?” 

Caleb looked up at Molly, still skating circles on the floor, and the corner of his mouth twitched up. He nodded - the simple motion sending Molly’s stomach swooping for no justifiable reason. Jester returned the nod then ran behind the counter. 

Molly ran his hands through his hair again as he looked at Caleb. “I really am sorry, Mr. Caleb,” he murmured. 

Caleb caught Molly’s eye - Molly froze in place - and Caleb’s eyes warmed, softening around the corners as he gave Molly a gentle smile. Molly shakily returned it, still distraught with having hurt someone. As if sensing his hesitance, Caleb retreated into himself, eyes losing some of their shine. Molly’s heart clenched at the change. 

Before long, Jester returned. “Caleb, I called Nott. We’re going to get you home.”

Caleb looked up quickly, before nodding and turning his eyes back to the ground.

“Can I-” Molly’s question was cut off by Jester waving her finger in his face. 

“No, Molly. I’ll take care of Caleb and if you  _ really, really  _ want to see him again, then you can come by tomorrow, definitely, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll be back tomorrow. Thank you, Jester,” Molly murmured. Turning to Caleb, he knelt so he was in the range of his still downwards-turned eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mister Caleb.” Caleb’s eyes locked with him and the two shared a small smile. 

And with that, he skated away, leaving both Molly and Caleb with a strangely wistful sensation. 


	2. Sunlight and Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly, ever curious, returns to Toll the Bread to check on Caleb. He's greeted with an additional surprise, golden in the morning sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, I know it's been two months, but sometimes depression and writer's block are just like that. To everyone who is continuing to read, I'm not done here yet - thank you for sticking around!
> 
> No beta because I... forgot to ping Meridas and I wanted to get this one out! (Meridas, if you're reading this, _yEET_ )

“Molly, when I told you to come back tomorrow, I didn’t mean all day.” Jester slid a large mug to Molly before propping her elbows on the counter.

“Yes, but I didn’t know what time he was going to be by, and I worry, you know I worry.” Molly sighed deeply and took a large drink, eyes fluttering shut over the rim of the mug. “Darling, your coffees are a blessing.”

“Thank you,” she giggled, curtsying neatly before her eyes grew  _ slightly _ more serious. “But Molly, if you ever want to talk to someone, you know I’m always here for you.”

“I know, Jester. Thank you, darling. But for now, I must be content to wait and see how things progress.” He sighed again, placing a hand on his forehead as he leaned into a dramatic swoon, balancing on one purple skate as his oversized black band tee slid off one shoulder. “Although we both know patience is not my best feature.”

The door to the bakery burst open - neither Molly nor Jester flinched, used to such an entrance. A well-muscled girl strode in, donning gray sweatpants and a black sports bra, navy blue hoodie unzipped at the front. “Hey, Jess. Hey, asshole.”

“Hi, Beau,” Jester giggled, already on the way to pour her coffee. 

“Hey, bitch,” Molly said, sticking out his tongue at her. Beau poked her tongue out at him as Jester slid over her drink. 

She leaned against the counter, propping one elbow up while jamming the other into the pocket of her (already low-hanging) sweatpants. “Wha’sup?”

“We’re talking about  _ Caleb _ ,” Jester said with an impish grin. 

Molly flinched back a little, confident smile fading as worry flickered across his face. 

“What’s happening with Caleb?” Her blue eyes flicked towards Molly, then narrowed. “What did you do?”

“I… may or may not have hit him while skating yesterday.” Molly grimaced.

Beau's head ducked as she snorted. “You  _ what? _ ”

“It’s not like I meant to!” Molly buried his face in his arms with a loud groan. 

“Yeah, but you like,  _ totally  _ wiped him out,” Jester cackled. 

Molly winced again. “Jester, darling, don’t you have something better to be doing right now?”

“The morning rush is definitely over, Molly.” Jester shot him an almost blinding grin as she gestured to the empty shop. “So I don’t have anything else to do, technically.”

“It’s me,” Beau deadpanned. “I’m her morning rush. She can do me.”

“But darling, you’re so  _ over _ .” Molly laughed, bright and loud, as Beau spluttered into her drink. Jester shot her a wink, eyes gleaming.

All three heads turned as the door creaked open once again. Caleb entered, hunched in his oversized brown jumper. His eyes darted between the three of them. “ _ Hallo _ , Jester, Beauregard, Mollymauk.”

“Hi, Caleb!” Jester bounced up and down, skirt flouncing around her.

“‘Sup.” Beau jerked her chin up. 

“Hi, Mr. Caleb.” A light blush spread across Molly’s face - almost indiscernible against tan skin. Beau masked a snort with her coffee cup. Molly, without looking away from Caleb, swung at her, knuckles smacking her upper arm. 

“Jester, I wanted to,  _ er _ , to apologize for the trouble that -  _ ah _ , that I may have caused you yesterday.” Caleb kept his eyes down, flicking across various points on the ground. 

Jester waved a hand through the air, dismissing his apology. Before she could speak, Molly was cutting her off. 

“It should be me that apologizes to you, Mr. Caleb. After all, I’m the one who skated right into you. Hardly the first time that’s happened, but I am still quite sorry it happened to you.” Caleb muttered inaudibly, ducking his head.

“You are okay, though, right? Molly didn’t fuck you up or anything?” Beau slouched back, though she inspected Caleb carefully. 

“ _ Ja _ , Beauregard, I am okay. I am fucked up, but that is no fault of Mollymauk.” He let out a humorless laugh. 

“Now, Mr. Caleb -” Molly was immediately cut off by Beau clamping a hand on his shoulder and Jester’s exclamation.

“ _ Cay-leb, _ what is  _ that? _ ” Jester’s voice raised to a squeal as she pointed to Caleb’s worn satchel. The three others winced. Caleb’s hand rested protectively over the brown leather, and a small figure writhed beneath his touch. Molly caught a glimpse of a tiny tabby tail tip poking out before it slipped back in. 

“ _ Scheiße. _ Give me one moment, please.” Caleb turned away from them, 

He set down his bag delicately next to him. He reached into the bag with shaking hands and pulled out a tiny, orange kitten. 

As soon as the tiny tabby was visible, Jester and Molly let out very similar squeaks. Jester’s hands flew over her mouth, trying to stifle her excitement. Molly wore an expression of sheer joy and awe. 

Caleb curled protectively around the kitten, who was small enough to sit in one of his hands, tail flicking down his wrist. He murmured in Zemnian, finger hovering just millimeters away from the kitten’s tiny nose. 

As sunlight brushed over copper hair and orange fur, time seemed to slow. Molly watched as the worry and fatigue carved into his face dissolved. Caleb’s small, crooked smile seemed so intimate, so  _ vulnerable _ , it almost felt wrong to be watching. Molly’s heart fluttered, and he wondered what it might take to make Caleb look at  _ him _ like that. 

After a moment, Caleb seemed to remember where he was, blue eyes flicking up at the trio. “I,  _ ah _ , I have a cat.”

Jester squealed again, cut off by Beau wrapping her arms around her. Caleb nodded his thanks almost imperceptibly. 

“Mr. Caleb, would you mind if I came a little closer? I’d love to see - what’s their name?” Molly bounced on his front wheels, the motion creaking the floors gently.

“I’m sure there’s  _ something  _ you’d love to see,” Beau muttered. Molly shot a deathly glare at her before returning a smile to Caleb. 

Whether he didn’t hear or didn’t care, Caleb ignored Beau. “ _ Ja _ \- his name is Frumpkin, and you can come see him as long as you are very careful with my cat.”

Molly rolled over slowly to Caleb, sitting cross-legged in front of him. Caleb slowly uncurled, extending the arm holding Frumpkin towards Molly. Molly, ever so careful

Jester gasped. “Caleb, can I  _ please _ take pictures of Frumpkin? My mama will love him and he’s  _ so  _ cute!”

“ _ Ja _ , Jester, of course you may take pictures of Frumpkin.”

Jester squealed again and bounced over towards Molly and Caleb, phone in hand. Without hesitation, she laid on her stomach next to Molly, feet waving through the air as she wiggled to get the perfect angle for Frumpkin. 

Caleb, ever hesitant to be in front of a camera, gently placed Frumpkin on the ground in front of Molly. The kitten mewled for a moment at the loss of contact with Caleb before bumping his nose against Molly’s knee, then wobbling around his skates, pawing gently at the wheels. 

“So what, he’s a stray?” Beau asked, rubbing the shaved piece of the back of her head as she stared up at the ceiling. 

“ _ Ja _ , he was a stray. I have been hiding him in my apartment for a month now. It is just that-” Caleb hesitated for a moment, curling into himself and taking a deep breath. “I am not strictly allowed to have pets in my apartment, and I happen to know that the landlord will be entering for maintenance today.”

“That’s some sketchy shit, dude,” Beau mumbled. 

“Caleb, do you mean to tell me that you’ve been hiding this  _ beautiful _ kitten in your apartment for a month?” Molly glanced up from scratching Frumpkin’s head with one finger. Frumpkin meowed plaintively, prompting Molly to continue scratching. 

“I,  _ ah, ja. _ ” Caleb kept his eyes carefully on Frumpkin, softer with affection even as he instinctively flinched at the question. 

Jester leaped up off the ground from next to Molly, bouncing already. “ _ Cay-leb _ , I just had the best idea! Frumkin can live at the cafe! We totally need a pet for us and I think Frumpkin would be  _ so _ perfect.”

“Jester,” Caleb said, hesitating at the thought already, “I do not want to be an inconvenience to you. Frumpkin is my pet and my responsibility.”

“No, no, Caleb, he wouldn’t be a problem,  _ please! _ ” Jester’s violet eyes were wide and pleading, which Caleb resolutely ignored. 

“Trust me, darling, it’s no inconvenience for her. She’s been wanting a pet in here for ages.” Molly laughed gently, careful not to jostle Frumpkin. 

“Seriously, dude,” Beau said, leaning against the bar seats. “Ages. She won’t shut up about it.”

Jester stuck her tongue out at Beau, scrunching her nose at Molly as she turned back towards Caleb. “Totally, Caleb. And now I can just share yours!”

“That is not at all how that works,” Caleb murmured, quiet enough that Molly barely heard the whisper. He looked down at Frumpkin, who was curled in a tiny ball on Molly’s lap, then at Molly, who seemed to be well on the way to wrapping himself around Frumpkin entirely. 

Molly, still playing gently with the corner of Frumpkin’s ear, glanced up at Caleb, amber eyes soft and shimmering. The wheel of his skate spun slowly and the sunlight danced across the tan skin exposed by his oversized tee, which looked far better on Molly than it had any right to. 

Caleb sighed heavily, knowing that the choice was made. “Alright, Jester.”

Jester’s eyes lit up. “Yes? He can stay?” she asked with a squeal. 

“ _ Ja _ , Jester, since I know it is not sustainable for me to keep him in my apartment when the landlord will be coming in, and since I know that you will inevitably spoil him. You may keep him in the shop.”

Jester squealed again. Caleb could almost see her imagination starting, and Beau rolled her eyes from behind Jester, already envisioning the chaos to come. 

From then on, Caleb spent a little too much time in the shop, drinking capricious amounts of tea as Frumpkin curled in his lap or among the papers that scattered whichever table he occupied that day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like to come poke me online, you can find me on Tumblr at sadzemnianwizard. My inboxes are always open!


	3. Distractions and Delights

Visiting _Toll the Bread_ soon became a regular part of Molly’s schedule as well. 

It was on one such occasion, rolling into the bakery with a tote swung over his shoulder, that he found Caleb glaring into a book, clutching a pen so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Frumpkin, curled on the table just above the book, let out a tiny _mmrp!_ at Molly’s arrival, head poking up as his ears swiveled towards the sound of wheels on wood. 

Molly pulled out the chair across from Caleb, hooking his tote over the wooden chair back as he slid gracefully into the seat. “Afternoon, Mister Caleb,” he said with a smile. Caleb continued writing, free hand tracing a finger down the page, seemingly unaware of Molly’s presence.

It took a few tries, but Molly eventually caught Caleb’s attention, gently placing his hand among Caleb’s papers on the edge of his vision. 

Caleb jolted violently, knocking some of the papers before recognizing Molly in front of him. He signed and ran a hair through disheveled coppery hair. “ _V_ _erzeihung_ , Mollymauk.”

“You’re alright, Mister Caleb,” Molly replied, eyes softening with a combination of affection and worry, both for the Zemnian man seated in front of him. “How long have you been here?”

“I- I have been here for quite some time. My, _ah_ , my neighbors are rather noisy, which does not allow me to work well at home.” Caleb’s mouth twitched upwards as he ran a finger across Frumpkin’s nose, immediately prompting the kitten to begin purring as he curled up again, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. 

Molly could see his jaw tightening, teeth clenching in a way he knew must be painful. “Can I ask you something?”

“ _Ja,_ if you would like.” Caleb reached out for the large mug nestled among the papers. It shook violently as he lifted it with one hand, almost spilling, before he stabilized it with his other hand. 

Molly locked eyes with Caleb over the rim of his mug. “Do you trust me?”

Caleb slowly set down the mug. “I want to, but I do not think that is what you want. You will only get hurt around me.” Caleb looked away, fingers twitching on the side of the porcelain mug. 

“Caleb,” Molly said, his voice almost a whisper, catching Caleb’s eyes again. “Let me decide that.”

Caleb seemed to search his eyes for something for a couple moments before nodding slowly. “Okay.”

A smile broke out across Molly’s face. “Then let me just change shoes, and we’ll head into the kitchen.”

Caleb shuffled papers into some semblance of orderliness as Molly deftly unlaced his skates, quickly replacing them with off-white sneakers featuring an embroidered rainbow. “I didn’t know you had shoes without wheels,” Caleb remarked dryly.

Molly, hunched over in his chair, looked upwards at Caleb. “Was that a joke, Mister Caleb?”

“ _Nein_ ,” Caleb said, standing with a wince. He tried to clutch his side subtly, but to no avail. “Zemnians are incapable of jokes.”

Skates now tucked beneath the table, Molly stood, shedding his maroon coat and draping it over his chair. “Follow me.” The man wove around the tables and into the kitchen. Caleb gave Frumpkin one last head scritch before following behind the other man. 

“Jester, we’re using your kitchen!” Molly sang out as he entered.

“Molly, wh-” Jester was standing by one of the workstations, generously pouring rainbow sprinkles onto the most recent batch of cupcakes. As soon as she saw Caleb behind Molly, a mischievous grin split her freckled cheeks. “Of course! I’ll take these out front.”

“Thank you, darling,” Molly whispered as she passed.

“No problem!” Jester skirted out of the kitchen, tray of cupcakes balancing precariously.

The kitchen itself was what could only be described as organized chaos. Bowls were stacked haphazardly above plastic containers filled with various ingredients. The counters were mostly sparkling silver wiped clean, with the exception of a large slab of smooth white granite. Caleb stood in the middle of the kitchen, watching as Molly danced around him, pulling out pans and large containers of ingredients. 

“Okay,” Molly said, bouncing on his toes. “It looks like Jester saved us a little bit of work.” He tapped one of the plastic containers, which was filled with a pale tan paste. “Mister Caleb, if you could go ahead and melt some butter for me? Oh, and warm the milk, while you’re at it? 125 milliliters, I think.” Molly shoved several items in his direction, including two stacked bowls, the top one already containing a knob of butter, the milk, and the correct measuring equipment. 

“You think?” Caleb asked dryly, gathering up the items haphazardly as he made his way towards the microwave.

Molly flapped a hand vaguely. “It’ll work itself out. It always does.”

Caleb sighed with absolutely no frustration, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. “You are a strange combination of specific measurements and… how do you say - _bullshit._ ”

“I like my bullshit, Mister Caleb. It makes people happy,” Molly declared with a laugh. Caleb chuckled, so preoccupied with watching the microwave that he missed Molly’s soft gaze, gentle eyes tracing his hunched shoulders. Molly set about greasing the bowls and baking tins they would need. 

Caleb, milk and butter in hand, returned to the large workstation where Molly had set up the rest of the ingredients. “And now?”

“Now, we mix it up,” Molly said with an exaggerated wink, sliding the large greased bowl towards Caleb. “Go ahead and pour those in here.” Caleb complied, setting down the bowls just in time for Molly to shove a whisk in his hand. “And… mix.”

Caleb dutifully began whisking the egg and milk together, motions robotic and stiff.

“No, no, no, not like that.” Caleb froze as Molly peered over his shoulder. “It needs _soul_. You have to put some heart into it.”

“I fear to know what that means,” Caleb deadpanned, resuming his robotic whisking. 

Molly whipped his phone out of his back pocket (which seemed far too small to hold a phone of that size by Caleb’s eye - not that he was looking) and tapped the screen rapidly. The sound of saxophones began to play through unseen speakers, soon joined by trumpets, electric guitar, bass, and drum. 

“No,” Caleb said, corners of his mouth twitching upwards. “Absolutely not.”

“Oh, yeah,” Molly said with a wide grin, already bouncing his head to the beat. 

“Mollymauk, you certainly cannot expect me to-” Caleb paused. He looked over towards Molly, taking in the way Molly’s shoulders rolled as he stepped from side to side, arms waving above his head, then simply flapped a hand in that direction. 

Molly paused for a moment, forearms resting on top of his own head. “One of us has to dance, Mister Caleb. It’s a serious responsibility.” And with a particularly saucy shoulder shimmy, Molly continued dancing. As one song led into the next, Molly - still tossing purple curls side to side - began to add various ingredients to the bowl. 

Molly, true to his word (that is to say, _bullshit_ ), did not measure anything. He seemed to simply eyeball various amounts going into the bowl, much to Caleb’s continued bewilderment. After a few more additions, most of which Caleb recognized, Molly shoved aside the ingredients and sprinkled flour down, instructing Caleb to dump out the ball of dough. 

“Okay,” said Molly, clicking down the volume slightly. “Now, for the fun part!”

“Oh, only now?” Caleb quipped, corners of his mouth tilting upwards. 

Ignoring the clear jab, Molly began to knead the dough, tossing his weight into it. Much to Caleb’s amusement, Molly was just short enough he had to stay on his toes while kneading, which occasionally resulted in his feet lifting off the ground. After a couple seconds, he stepped aside. “Your turn, Mister Caleb!”

“Am I just the manual labor?” Caleb asked, eyebrows raising slightly. 

“Yep,” Molly shot back with another grin. “And there’s no need to be gentle. So all the emotion and frustration that you’ve got in you - just take it out on the dough.” Caleb’s eyes softened for a moment. Molly stood, hands on his hips, uncaring of the flour that now dusted his black jeans. “Go on!”

As Caleb got into the rhythm of kneading, Molly began cleaning up the dirty dishes and replacing ingredients on their various shelves. He danced around the redhead, twirling as he dumped bowls into the sink before pausing to lip sync into the dirty whisk, hips wiggling overdramatically as he whipped his curls back out of his eyes. 

Caleb made a noise that Molly suspected to be a stifled snort. As he whirled past, the Zemnian made sure to roll his eyes enough that Molly could see, but his head bobbed side to side in time with the music. Molly grinned and continued his performance.

Once the dough was kneaded sufficiently (“How do you, _ah_ , how do you know when it’s done?” “It just is!”), Molly slid over a silver kitchen scale, parchment paper already laid down. “And now, we’re gonna split up the dough. 65 grams each, we should have nine of them.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to just- _ah_ , how do you say, eyeball this?” Caleb arched an eyebrow at Molly. 

Molly gasped dramatically for a heartbeat before laughing. It was loud, overly enthusiastic, and the kind of laugh you couldn’t help but join - and Caleb did. “No, this part actually has to be kind of precise so they cook evenly.”

Caleb set about weighing the dough, dividing it carefully whilst mumbling under his breath about “hypocritical men and nonsensical processes”. 

“Okay,” Molly said, looking at the dough balls. “Now, you go back into the seating area. You’re not allowed to work, you can only play with Frumpkin.”

“Do I get to see what you made?” Caleb asked, already exiting the kitchen.

“ _WE_ MADE!” Molly cried after him, laughing.

Caleb, despite his keen awareness of the time, found it easy to lose track of it when playing with Frumpkin. The tiny kitten lent himself easily to distracting him, the purring clearing away the whirlwind of thoughts that so often filled his mind. The background noise of the cafe was strangely comforting - the quiet chatter of unintelligible conversations, Jester’s laugh as she worked the register, the rumble of the espresso machine. 

Before he could pull himself away from the tiny tabby, Molly’s voice rang out in the cafe. “Caleb! It’s done!” the man sang, white teeth flashing against tan skin. 

“Oh?” Caleb straightened, Frumpkin curled in his crossed legs.

“Get over here!” Molly beckoned wildly, his wide grin only spreading.

“I- _ah_ , Frumpkin, he is-” Caleb gestured helplessly to the kitten in his lap. 

“Bring him with you!”

Caleb sighed, carefully scooping the kitten into one arm as he stood. As he wove his way to the counter, Molly looked down at the pan and froze. 

“Wait, shit. Hold on, give me a minute, don’t look yet!” Molly scrabbled for a pen in the pen cup. He rapidly began flicking it across the surface of the pan, occasionally stopping to inspect his work.

“Is that safe?” Caleb asked with a wry smile.

“Oh, perfectly,” Molly replied with a wink. “Jester always keeps edible ink pens around here - I think she actually fills them with her own edible ink recipe.”

“I- I did not know that was even an option,” Caleb said, honesty flattening his voice. 

“Okay, now you can look!” Molly slid the pan towards Caleb with a flourish.

Inside were nine connected golden-brown rolls, each of which had been carefully formed into kittens. Tiny balls on the bottom made little front paws, while the ones on top had been pinched to form ears. Molly had carefully drawn a smiling kitten face on each one, with a different stripe pattern on each little head. 

Caleb’s heart tugged as he looked back and forth between Molly’s wide grin and the not-quite-as-adorable cat bread. “Molly, I- I do not know what to say. Thank you.” He smiled, the fullest and most genuine smile Molly had seen from him yet.

“You don’t need to say anything. Just enjoy the bread!” Molly’s grin softened as he watched Caleb, who was clearly enamored with the bread.

“You cannot expect me to eat this, Mollymauk. It is far too cute.” Caleb stood in place, running his knuckles across each other repeatedly. It was not an anxious motion - it calmed and grounded him. 

“Caleb, it’s meant to eat,” Molly chuckled. “Come on, do the honors.”

“If you insist.” With that, Caleb gently grabbed the corner roll and (with a muttered apology) tore it off. 

The bread was soft and still slightly warm. The interior was fluffy and pale against the golden brown of the top. Caleb tore off a piece as Molly did the same. It was cloud-soft on his tongue; the inside practically dissolved in his mouth. He savored the slight sweetness and surprisingly rich flavor. It was not enough to be overwhelming or to cause him any anxiety; rather, it was comforting. 

“This is amazing,” Caleb said, already tearing off another piece. 

“I told you it would work out,” Molly laughed. “You just had to trust me.”

“Thank you, Mollymauk.”

“Nothing to thank me for, darling - I’m simply happy to be able to help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to know what Molly was listening to in the kitchen? Check it out [here.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3afSRwynnTVg4GIRfUYn1N?si=zpqkI26dRJaFp6vaLGQhAQ)
> 
> The recipe I based this chapter off of can be found [here.](https://wiselivingmagazine.co.uk/food-and-drink/recipes/kim-joy-soft-and-fluffy-tangzhong-cat-buns/) For the sake of the plot, I ignored the proving times, since it's harder to keep someone distracted when you have to wait an hour for bread to rise. Let's just call it... the magic of romance??
> 
> Verzeihung - sorry, apologies
> 
> Come chat with me on Tumblr at [sadzemnianwizard](sadzemnianwizard.tumblr.com)!


	4. Mishaps and Misfortune

Hi friends:

Apologies that this isn’t the update that any of us want. Unfortunately, my laptop has decided to no longer function, and of the few files I was able to pull off the hard drive before it completely shut down, my fics were not among them. I’ve lost a fair number of chapters for both this fic and my other current ongoing fic, the Texting Thesis, not to mention a variety of WIPs. To be clear, **this story is not done.** I will be continuing it as soon as I can, but it will take some time to rewrite what was lost, especially without a proper keyboard.

As always, you can come chat with me on Tumblr at @sadzemnianwizard. 

Thank you all for your patience, and again, I’m sorry. 

\- Atlas


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